


星の十字 ☆ Hoshina no Kurosu

by MisoHime



Category: Naruto
Genre: Acting, Actors, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Emotional, Enemy Lovers, F/M, Female-Centric, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hate to Love, Humor, Love Confessions, Love/Hate, Male-Female Friendship, MisoHime, Multi, Rivalry, Rivals, Romeo and Juliet References, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, Theatre, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-06-09
Updated: 2011-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-28 11:31:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7638433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisoHime/pseuds/MisoHime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern!AU/Theatre/Romeo&Juliet!Inspired<br/>SasuSaku</p>
<p>He may be Romeo, and she - Juliet, but she would not let him get in the way of her spotlight, or of her role as an actress.<br/>Even if he was her most hated enemy, even if she had to risk falling in love with him, even if she might have already fallen for him.</p>
<p>The fine line between love & hate has always been a thin one... Sakura just wished she knew which side she stood on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 機会 (Opportunity)

[MisoHime](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2481197/)

**Author's Note:**

**Please Read:**  
  
Hello! This is  MisoHime, and this story is a re-upload from _Fanfiction.Net_ , where I originally started it back in 2011.

I have decided to slowly upload it here as well, where I will also update until completion alongside FF.Net, as I want to get to know the Ao3 Community better.  
As I am still mainly based in FF.Net, I am unfamiliar with the way Ao3 works, but I hope to be comfortable with it soon.

I hope you enjoy this story, and if you do, please don't hesitate to leave a Kudos, or a comment.

* * *

Updated 2016 Note:

Hello. This chapter was revised on **12th April 2016**.

... There's something about going back to a story that you wrote six years ago and re-reading it, and as a fellow reader of Fanfiction, I know how frustrating it is to read a story but lose both your attention and commitment before it reaches the good part because if it's a story whereby the first chapter was written eons ago, the writing style is so different from the later chapters, that it makes things so agonizing to plough through.

I'm aware that there are still plenty of flaws in my writing. I'm not a writer, I'm not even very talented in it. I'm a reader, but I'm making an effort now to get back into things, which also include cleaning up these old chapters.

I've re-read this chapter, reviewed the errors in my grammar, tenses and spelling. I've also changed some parts and added some too. Here's to hoping that you readers (both old and new) enjoy it. I plan on slowly going through the rest of the chapters to edit them accordingly, too.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

 

* * *

◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊

Hoshina no Kurosu

Ichi

機会

Kikai

* * *

 

Pink hair shuffled as slim fingers combed through it lightly. A pale, petite figure slowly yawned, one hand raised to cover her mouth as she lightly slipped into a nap, small ear buds drowned out the noisy English class with music.

Haruno Sakura didn't think she could be more bored than she already was. English Literature had always been one of those terribly dull classes.

Her teacher – Mrs. Kurenai – never bothered showing up on time due to her "risqué meetings" with her new husband. That left the job of keeping the restless class quiet to the Class President, Hyugga Hinata.

Short, small, timid Hinata had to be one of the sweetest girls on campus. The only problem with being that polite was that her demeanor also made her extremely shy.

Sakura's green eyes glazed over with disinterest as she leaned back further into her chair, watching from her seat near the back of the room as the Hyuuga heiress frantically waved her hands up in the air, trying to catch the attention of the class. Her face was contorted with anxiety as her long bangs fell to the front of her face. Her cheeks flushed bright as she continued to attempt to reign control over the rowdy classroom. Predictably, nobody stopped talking.

"P-p-please! Keep y-your v-voices d-own!" Hinata stammered in a tiny voice.

Sakura sighed as she observed the girl. She was smart, which was to be expected of someone coming from one of the well-known families of Konoha, but she with her passive character, Hinata would never be able to settle the raucous noises of the class.

Glancing slightly to the right, Sakura saw the numbers 10:15 a.m. on the classroom's digital clock. She suppressed another yawn and pulled out her headphones, shoving them into her bag along with her unused books. The session was almost over.

In a large institute like theirs, there were merely too many students to control. Being the only main campus in Konoha, almost every youth attended the facility and the teachers themselves struggled to keep them all in line. Some classes were bound to pass by without any real lesson, and Sakura didn't feel that this one would prove differently.

Just as the last bell of the hour was about to strike, the young Mrs. Kurenai decided to make an appearance. Her hair fell into thick, black waves, a bit too tumbled-looking than natural and red lipstick was slightly smeared on her swollen lips.

' _No doubt what happened_ ' Sakura thought.

Her red and white wrap dress fit snugly to her tall figure, a Literature book and a couple of loose papers in her left hand. Her heels clicked loud and commanding on the lecture room's floors.

Realizing her task was now relieved with the arrival of the teacher, Hinata's features relaxed with relief. Their teacher had finally arrived.

"Class, just before you go, I would like to announce some news" She said, her voice mature, "I'm very pleased to inform you of a play that the English department has decided to do."

She placed her belongings on the desk and turned to face the now-settled class. Sakura's eyes flickered to the front of the class, who were now all murmuring instead of chattering. Her own back straightened with attention and she awaited the rest of Kurenai's announcement.

' _This is what I'm talking about! Finally, something that's interesting.'_ The young pinkette thought.

With a knowing smile, Kurenai turned back around and wrote out something on the board. "This year's play will be about 'Romeo & Juliet' '' Kurenai continued, "I hope to be able to see you all there for auditions."

One of the boys two desks away from Sakura's turned to mutter to his friend, mentioning something along the lines of: "That is, if you even show up yourself, Ms. Kurenai."

" **Mr.** Suigetsu Hozuki" Kurenai voiced loudly from the head of the room, "care to repeat?"

"No ma'am…" pale skin flushed with embarrassment. Suigetsu's eyes looked away to avoid meeting the teacher's maroon ones.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics. There was always one troublemaker in class who tended to bite off more than he could chew.

Her focus shifted back onto the older woman in the front, a satisfied smile curling at her lips. Excitement and anticipation tingled around the edges of her consciousness - something that she hadn't felt in a long while.

_'A play… a play of Romeo & Juliet!'_

Ever since she was but a toddler, Sakura knew she was born to be on stage. Being a performer was one of those impossible dreams that many scoffed at. The art form itself was known to be cut-throat and merciless, but there was something that Haruno Sakura loved about acting. The feeling of engrossing yourself into a character's persona and losing herself in someone else's words.

Perhaps one day she would be able to stand next to all her favorite actors and actresses. All of those possibilities had to stem from somewhere, why not from a play? Theater was one of the most thriving forms of the performing industry.

The production of 'Romeo & Juliet' was one of those timeless love stories that everyone knew about. Being one of Shakespeare's most famous productions, the play itself called for dedicated cast members with enough talent to pull of the dramatic storyline.

It was also one of Sakura's secret obsessions. A younger Sakura had a copy of Shakespeare's works among her bookshelf before she could even understand what the language meant. Despite that, the descriptions of the poet's words had managed to capture her childish heart. By the age of 6, she had been able to recite nearly every verse from memory.

"Ms. Anko and I will be hosting auditions for the roles next Tuesday in the Auditorium" Kurenai finished. Her face displayed the excitement of her announcement. Clearly the production was something she was more dedicated to than her educational responsibilities.

Just seconds later, the bell rang, the shrill call releasing the less than interested lot of students.

With most of the crowd moving in a rush to get through the door, Sakura didn't bother with joining the exodus of the student body. She took her time, slinging her bag over her shoulder and shrugging into her coat. The rose-haired girl stood up slowly. With most of the class already gone, the room felt larger than before. Her sneakers shuffled to to the front of the room and her face settled into a confident smile as she approached the exit.

Before leaving, she glanced to her teacher and nodded once. "I'll be there."

Red-chapped lip tilted slightly to give a small smile before replying. "Excellent! I wish you the best of luck."

Without another word, Sakura strode out of the classroom, blinking at the nearly empty hallway and at the sight of her long-time best friend, Sai. He gave her one of his "fake" smiles as Sakura sauntered up to him, tattered jeans lightly touching the ground and black coat floating behind her movements. She snuggled deeper into the high collar as the opened door a small distance down allowed the morning air to chill the hall.

"Talking to teachers? I thought that was illegal?" He asked as they walked down the corridor. His fair complexion contrasted sharply against the dark colour of his hair and eyes. With his sketchbook and painting bag in one hand, Sai reached over to hold an adjoining door open for them to pass through.

The rosette shrugged and moved through the door, "Rules were meant to be broken."

"Even your rules, Ugly?"

Pink lips twitched the slightest, after all these years, Sai still remained the same – secretively witty, artistic, easy-going and unreadable. Back when they were kids, both of them would always spend their time watching movies, hanging out by scenic places while Sai sketched, eating anko dumplings or momen tofu and drinking cold lemonade until they were sick with stomach aches. However, that was before the hormones started to kick in and Sakura realized that Sai was a boy, and that girls liked boys. That was also the time when Sai realized that he liked boys too. Which seemed like a pity to Sakura as he was definitely good looking. In spite of his good looks, nothing could change the fact that Sai was, _indeed_ , gay.

"So what's the occasion?" Sai questioned, his hands distractedly rearranging his paintbrushes as he sorted through his bag. "Or did you want to ask Mrs. Sarutobi which kind of condoms she would recommend for your first time?"

A muscle ticked near her eyebrow as Sakura's mouth twisted to a light scowl. Her rubber soles squeaked against the floor as she stopped moving. Sai continued to move ahead without noticing her pause. Clearly his frank attitude needed to be taught a lesson.

He realized she had stopped moving and turned back around only to narrowly dodge a fist aimed for his face. His didn't even seem shocked and another smile graced his face as Sakura gave him a playful punch on the shoulder instead with her "super-human strength".

"There's a play," she replied back, "A real good one. And I'm looking forward to showing some real talent."

Following behind her once more, the artist nodded and they moved together down the next hallway in silence.

He stopped in front of a door and gave her one last wave before ducking into the door and into his next class, "Let's hope they won't notice your ugly-ness, then."

Another scowl threatened to pull at her lips, but Sakura just shook her head at his joke before she readjusted her bag strap and moved to continue down to the cafeteria.

Reflecting back to Kurenai's announcement, Sakura's heart filled with happiness at the prospect of the upcoming play. Her happy mood lasted throughout her stroll to the vending machines. Maybe she would go get something to drink before heading to Calculus.

A sudden thought popped into her mind, causing her to almost misstep ' _There are a few others who could get the part as Juliet too… There's Karin and Ami – ugh – drama queens… Tayuya... Tsuchi Kin.'_

"You look deep in thought, my Blossom." A husky voice interrupted her mental analysis, "Thinking about what you'll wear when you go out with me this Friday?"

The nerve in her eyebrow twitched again and Sakura mentally sighed. She didn't have to turn around to notice who it was. That voice was unmistakable. That was the voice of Uchiha Itachi.

She didn't bother to move her entire form as she turned around to look over her shoulder to look at the man who was labelled as a notorious playboy. Itachi was famed to have slept with every female in the school, and even though the school's population might have suggested it as just an improbable hoax, it was still pretty believable since he had the looks of Adonis, charms to swoon for and the smarts of the World's Biggest Encyclopedia.

Undoubtedly handsome features reflected a lightly amused expression as he watched her watch him. His skin was fair and clear, devoid of any flaws except for the two light indentations of strain around his eyes. His hair was thick and black - a trait shared by nearly all of those who carried the Uchiha name - flowing straight down to the small of his back. His bangs fell on the sides of his face, gently swaying with his movements. The hard lines of his face were symmetrical and cut to perfection. Long lashes framed his deep set, dark coloured eyes. His lips, when not upturned into a confident smirk, were smooth and thin. Even his posture was nothing short of self-assured - broad shoulders and lean waist, long legs and tall figure. Nearly all of the Uchiha's were blessed with terribly good looks, but Itachi in person was truly a work of art.

Sakura wouldn't deny the truth. The elder Uchiha has one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. If she were just any other girl who was blinded by those good looks, she would've done more than entertain his interests by now.

But she wasn't.

Sadly, that also meant that he wasn't going to give up on the one female who refused his affections.

If his impeccable grades and mannerisms were any clue, he was extremely persistent. He never stopped chasing his target until he could hook em' and reel em' in. There was no such thing as giving up in his rule book, a quality that made him fit for being the heir to the Uchiha family business. No other man would have been able to handle the pressure in his life. The only other of such caliber was perhaps his younger brother - Uchiha Sasuke.

That one name set her nerves on the complete edge. She could feel the resentment bubble up like a pit of vipers in her gut. Even the hairs on the back of her neck would raise like hackles of a cat.

Uchiha Sasuke... Itachi's younger brother and the bane of her existence.

The mere sight of him could set Sakura's anger blazing like a torch. She hated the younger Uchiha as if he were a deadly nightshade.

' _That man – no, boy – is pure toxic'_ Sakura thought bitterly ' _and his brother is a stalker.'_

But more on that later.

She broke contact with Itachi and turned back around. Her pleasant mood from the morning dissipating like fog.

Sakura picked up her pace, trying to get away from the elder Uchiha as fast as possible, but his long, muscular legs managed to match her strides without difficulty.

"Actually, I was thinking about what I'm going to be wearing when I stay home this Friday… _without you_." She commented dry, not meeting his dark gaze, "I think you get the picture by now, I'm not interested, Itachi."

"Sakura, just by hearing you say my name proves there's something between us," Itachi smoothly replied, ignoring her bland message. "You may not agree not, but eventually, you will."

Sakura mentally scoffed and continued to walk in a brisk pace. Remaining traces of her morning mood soured and she increased the speed of her strides in hopes to evade the rest of the conversation.

The Uchiha prodigy didn't even seem to break a sweat at her fast pace. His eyes flickered down to hers and a wicked smirk appeared on his lips. While she refused to look, she could feel it.

With a sudden movement, his long fingers stretched out and caught her around the upper arm. The force of his grip caused her to jerk to a stop and her eyes snapped up, shocked at his physical touch.

He appeared unfazed by her discomfort. His night-coloured eyes met her's in a heated gaze. His fingers remained on hers and just as she was wondering what had compelled him to halt her mid-stride. He reached down and pressed his lips to her cheek, causing her to flinch back as if she had been burned.

"Until next time, _Blossom_." He released her arm and stepped away without concern. She was left staring at him as Itachi swiveled on his heel and walked off to the senior block of the building, catching various lustful looks from the rest of the females still littering the halls.

Her face flushed hot and her jaw was clenched in both anger and astonishment. She was flabbergasted at the nerve of the older male. Had he actually dared to initiate such an intimate act without her consent?

Sakura quietly walked her way, raging silently in fury. She had half a mind to run after Itachi and punch him right in his beautifully sculpted nose.

She continued onwards to her class, long forgoing her initial plan of retrieving a beverage. After that exchange, she would have just crushed the aluminium can in frustration.

Sakura caught a few strange looks from those in the area and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat, forcing her shoulders to relax. As violated as she may have felt, there was no reason to embarrass herself by stomping around like a hot-head.

She took a generous inhale and released it. She prided herself as an inspiring actress, and an actress would've been able to contain her composure. There was no way she was going to let the flirtatious attacks from Uchiha Itachi rain on her parade. She wasn't going to allow the Uchiha's any satisfaction at all.

They were all annoyingly perfect, infuriating, too-good looking little grievances.

_'Especially Uchiha Sasuke'_

 

* * *

  **End Note:**

Updated Note:  
That actually took a lot more work than I expected. I guess I underestimated my skill of writing.  
I actually thought it was pretty good back when I wrote it, but to be honest, my standards must have been pretty low because after reading the original, I don't even think it could count as a 'first chapter' (more like a prologue)

Do review, if you feel like it.  
And thank you to all for reading!


	2. 才能 (Talent)

[MisoHime](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2481197/)

**Author's Note:**

Updated 2016 Note:  
This chapter was read and reviewed **14th April 2016.**

After editing the first chapter, I became aware that the chapters following it would definitely be weird. The writing style is all over the place right now and I've decided to put it a priority to re-write these early chapters as soon as I can to avoid new readers from getting confused. I'll also try to put up a new chapter in between my re-writing.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

 

* * *

◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊

Hoshina no Kurosu

Ni

才能

Sainō

* * *

 

Days passed until it was finally the day of the auditions.

Sakura stood with the rest of the girls backstage, awaiting their turn. The area was filled with different people, all of them sorted into groups based on the role they requested to audition for.

The air felt stuffy and uncomfortable from the number of occupants. Seeing as it had been a while since the auditorium was used, it came to no surprise that the air was dusty and stale from neglect. The hardwood floors were clouded over with a layer of dust, feet made shuffling sounds as the movement caused more motes to float midair.

A girl standing with the other group fought a series of sneezes.

Standing to the side of her own group, Sakura looked around at the other hopefuls. Some were slightly pale in the face, rubbing their sweaty palms against their clothes. If there had been less people, Sakura suspected she would have been able to hear their racing pulses echoing in the confined space. The mood in the air held hints of agitation and nervousness. No doubt many of the girls here were struggling to regain their composure.

Her eyes ran over her competition. There was a wide variety of girls who showed up today to audition for the play, ranging from young freshmen with innocent eyes to experienced seniors with cocky grins. Short, skinny, plum or wide, the only thing these girls had in common were their unconcealed nerves. Some holding on better than others.

Breathing in, Sakura let a small smile show on her face. She was assured of herself. This was what she wanted, what she was good at.

Her palms remained dry, pulse normal and script of soliloquy she didn't need to cram with stress in her hands. The audition script she chose was one of the most hardest parts of the play - especially because it was a solo scene that required a lot of emotion and passion to convey. It was a risk to read this particular scene, but Sakura planned to nail it as if she had thought of Juliet's words herself. Excitement washed over her as she waited. Her eyes watched patiently as another girl moved on stage.

The rest of the girls in her group paused in their own private rehearsal to stare as the previous girl on stage finished her small scene, stumbling off the side, face literally soaked in cold sweat.

There was a silence that hung over the air as the panel took a moment to write their comments and thoughts on paper.

Nervous glances were exchanged among those who still remained. It was clear that there was no mercy to be spared by the judges. They were looking for something, and out of all of them, how many really had it?

The moments continued to tick by, more and more girls moving when their names were called. Some broke down in nerves and stumbled over their words - awkward and unpracticed. Few of them managed to get by with neither compliment or insult from the panel and even fewer received nods of approval.

After more than half of her group had been eliminated, Sakura heard her name.

"Sakura? Haruno Sakura?" Mrs. Kurenai called out.

The remaining girls in her group exchanged looks as they heard the name, curious to see who their competition would be next.

Sakura brushed past the others and onto the bright lights of the stage. She didn't falter in step when she felt their eyes catch her figure and whispers started to trickle behind.

The overhead light was a bright beam , but Sakura didn't bother to bat a lash or squint from the sudden exposure to the light. With her head held high and confidence buzzing, she walked straight to the middle of the stage and stood expressionless, waiting for one of the two English teachers to speak.

Other than Mrs. Kurenai, there was one other English teacher - Ms. Anko Mitarashi. Her eyes had followed Sakura during her entire journey from backstage to frontstage. When she stopped, the teacher leaned forward from the desk, clipboard in hand.

"So, Sakura, what have you prepared for us?" Ms. Anko asked patiently.

Sakura gave a small smile and walked forward, bending down to pass a copy of her script to her and Mrs. Kurenai.

"Act Three, Scene Two: Juliet's soliloquy."

Ms. Anko took the offered paper and her eyebrows shot up slightly in mild surprise. So far, all of the previous girls had settled for less tricky scenes that were scattered throughout the play. Nobody had attempted this particular one - making Sakura the first. Scanning over the paper, the two teachers exchanged a small nod and leaned back into their chairs, clipboards ready to jot down comments.

"Go ahead." Kurenai gestured.

Sakura walked backwards to position under the very centre of the stage and took a deep breath.

Somewhere, someone hidden in the darkness of the backstage whistled loudly and Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to fight back a smile. Sai always chose to do something inappropriate at the most serious moments. She shook off her amusement and focused on her scene. She only had one shot to get it right, to prove to the eyes watching her that she had the talent they were looking for. She couldn't let anything interfere now.

Releasing her deep inhale, Sakura straightened her position, her body falling into the spirit of Juliet Capulet as she allowed herself to channel the emotion of one of the most legendary martyrs for love in history.

Her green eyes glossed over with passion, her face contorting to reflect the emotion her character felt, allowing it to flow through her veins.

Leaving all else behind, Sakura started to speak.

 

> " **Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,"**
> 
> _Wanting and wanting the night to come faster._
> 
> " **Towards Phoebus' lodging; such a waggoner, as Phaethon would whip you to the west."**
> 
> _Praying to the gods to help you in your lust._
> 
> " **And bring in cloudy night immediately,"**
> 
> _Make sure he finds you in secret, making sure he is unseen._
> 
> " **Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,"**
> 
> _So that no one knows tonight's the night you'll go all the way._
> 
> " **That runaway's eyes may wink and Romeo. Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen…"**

The soliloquy flowered with every word that rolled of Sakura's tongue, her voice both soft and urgent. It was as if Juliet's words had come straight out of her heart – so full of love and urgency. The sense of time paused in her mind as she pushed herself to embody Juliet, the young woman who was awaiting, yearning, for Romeo.

As Sakura continued to recite the rest of her piece, the girls who had been watching backstage – awaiting her to failure – stood with their mouths agape, staring at her with a look of combined jealousy and awe.

Oblivious to everyone's reactions, and completely involved in the passage, Sakura's voice evolved with a new sense of urgency - Juliet's urgency to convey her message across. The emotion rose to a crescendo as Sakura reached the final words.

 

> " **And she brings news; and every tongue that speaks"**
> 
> _And Romeo's name speaks heavenly eloquence._

Her heart was swollen with emotion as Sakura finally released herself from the grasp of her character. She breathed out a breath and her muscles relaxed, her mind almost light from the freedom of losing herself to the character.

The world spun back into focus and her eyes took in her environment. The room was almost deathly silent. The young pinkette waited, feeling the attention of her fellow audition mates behind her, looking at Kurenai and Anko's frozen forms.

Everyone else was still as she patiently awaited for the silence to be shattered. Just as things were bordering on uncomfortable, the room erupted into a circle of appraising applause. The sudden sound of claps stunned Sakura. She was vaguely aware of Sai with in his celebratory whistle in the background over the ringing applause.

Sakura couldn't help herself from breaking into a large smile as the surrounding people broke from their surprised silence.

Slowly, Kurenai blinked awake, her face still stuck in wonderment before releasing a satisfied smile. Her clipboard was long forgotten and discarded on the table as she rose from her seat and walked onto the stage, striding over to Sakura. Her face was proud as she offered her hand to the younger girl.

Sakura took a moment to stare at the offered hand before cautiously slipping her own into it. The older woman smiled and gripped Sakura's palm in a firm grip. Kurenai leaned down, her black hair gleamed under the bright spotlight as she voiced out in a clear tone everyone could hear:

"Well done, Juliet."

 

* * *

**End Note:**

_Side notes:  
The Italic sentences below the bold soliloquy of Sakura's are the modernised expression of Shakespeare's meanings._

Updated Note:  
I never realised how short this chapter was before, but it really is, isn't it? I added some parts to make it seem longer, hopefully making the scene more descriptive, too.

Do review if you can, as always, I enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts on the story!


	3. 間奏 (Interlude)

[MisoHime](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2481197/)

**Author's Note:**

Updated 2016 Note:  
This chapter was read and reviewed on the **16th April 2016.**

I'm rather proud of myself for being so caught up to re-writing these old chapters lately. I've been doing at least one chapter a day, which is pretty awesome, considering how little time I actually have to do things, these days.

I also plotted out some parts for the future chapters today. So far, I like what I have, now I just have to make sure I like what I write, too.

Disclaimer: Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's. And the inspired book for this story isn't mine either.

 

* * *

◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊

Hoshina no Kurosu

San

間奏

Kansō

* * *

 

The morning after the auditions, Sakura woke up with profound joy in her belly and a small smile on her face. A sense of satisfaction was embedded in her bones. She couldn't remember the last time she had woken up feeling so happy.

The sensation lasted throughout the previous night and she had fallen asleep more than ready for the next day to arrive – a fact she found unusual, considering it would be a Wednesday. Typically, Wednesday's were the worst. All of her classes would carry on late into the evening, none of them interesting classes, especially not the hour of algebra that would kick start her morning.

Stretching like a lazy cat, Sakura eased a happy sigh, feeling her muscles loosen and joints crack. The golden rays of sun that peaked through her curtains highlighted the deep red walls of her bedroom - most of the space covered with different black and white posters of all the most famous actors known to man. The prints scattered throughout the expanse of the wall, ranging in sizes and variation of print mediums. Sai had once commented that she had overdone the collage until it was near impossible to see the colour of vermillion hidden underneath.

Lying in bed for another minute, Sakura's mind drifted off to recall yesterday's audition. There weren't many plays in her school - mostly because the drama department was considered relatively small in comparison to the Sports or Arts department. The last school play had been almost two to three years ago - back when she had been too young to audition. It was a rare case to have a play, but when a production was decided on, everybody attended to see it on opening night. With a tremendously well known play like 'Romeo and Juliet', Sakura could only imagine the monstrous scale of success Kurenai was aiming for.

Her phone beeped with an incoming message, which she ignored, and with a grin still intact, Sakura threw the covers back over her head and curled into a ball under the blankets, eyes shut tight in excitement and a squeal stifled into her sheets.

_'I can't wait for school!'_

With almost bewildered clarity, her eyes snapped open.

_'Did I really just think that?'_

She laughed quietly to herself, unfurling from the tangled covers and pushing the duvet off. The clock on her nightstand read 7:28 a.m.

She stood and stretched again, the knots on the back of her neck relaxing. Her good mood carried on as she went to the bathroom to wash up, her clothes hanging on the hook next to her vanity.

After going through her morning routine, Sakura glanced at the clock once more, smiling with expectancy as she counted:

_'Three... Two... One...'_

Just as the digital numbers changed to "8:00", the single chime of her home's doorbell rang, signalling someone's presence downstairs.

She laughed with amusement, her good mood buzzing as she moved past her door to hop down the stairs. The wood panels thumped lightly with her every step, and by the time she reached the door, her small smile had transformed to a full-out grin.

Sai stood by the foot of her doorway. His dark hair was slightly damp from his morning shower and his pale complexion was a little flushed from the weather outside. Dressed in simple clothes as he always was, his face was emotionless, until his eyes roved over her to the silly expression plastered onto Sakura's face.

A sarcastic smile appeared on his lips, "Feeling superbly ugly today, are you?"

The grin on her face remained unfazed, not bothering to reply, Sakura turned on the balls of her feet, leaving the door open behind her for Sai to pass through as she skipped back into the house. Her ponytail bounced with every movement, causing Sai to have dodge the wild pink locks that swung as she turned in order to avoid getting whipped in the face.

"You know, you can just come in. Every school morning for the past four years you've been here for breakfast at _exactly_ 8:00 a.m. Why should you ring the doorbell? You know where the spare key is." Her voice was light and carefree, not checking if Sai had followed in her steps as she bounded into the kitchen.

Sai's long legs moved to beat the girl to the dining room. He didn't reply immediately, ignoring her slight frame as he left her trailing behind in his wake.

They moved in tandem to one another, not having to speak as Sakura sat down on one of the tall barstools by the island and watched as her best friend - who wandered over to the fridge to pull out a carton of orange juice. They had spent so many morning breakfasts with one another to move with familiarity.

Sai shut the fridge with his elbow and sauntered over to the cupboard overhead the stove to take out two glasses - placing one in front of Sakura. Her arms moved to pick the carton and proceeded to pour each of them a generous glass, ignoring one of his special "fake" smiles as he finally addressed her earlier statement.

"But, Ugly, if I didn't ring the doorbell, your dear mother would have a heart attack when she sees me making myself at home."

The pink haired girl rolled her green eyes at him, taking a sip out of her glass as the sound of footsteps met their ears.

"Sai, you should know that you're always welcome to make yourself at home here." A mature voice spoke.

Sakura's mother walked into the kitchen, her blonde hair sleeked back in her usual hairstyle. She was dressed in a well-cut suit that flattered her slender figure - a trait that she shared with her daughter.

Sai just smiled at the older female before drinking from his glass of juice.

Following only a few steps behind, Sakura's father walked in, bidding the two teens a good morning in a deep, jovial voice. He stopped by to plant a warm kiss on Sakura's forehead before moving to the fridge.

Her parents both worked on most days, and while Sakura did not see them as often as she used to, she still loved them very much. Her childhood was filled with memories of spending time with her father in his office as he worked, or watching her mother move around the kitchen, cooking dinner.

Haruno Mebuki moved to pour herself a cup of black coffee into her favourite mug, opening a drawer nearby to look for the sugar and cream.

Her father, Kizashi, continued to peruse the contents of their fridge, looking for leftovers or a microwaveable meal for a quick breakfast. There was no time to cook something - both of them would have to leave in a moment in order to beat the morning traffic to work.

All was peaceful for a few minutes, before Sakura's mother spoke in a hesitant tone, "Anata, don't forget our plans for tomorrow, we've promised Tsunade-sama that we would attend the charity benefit." Her eyes were cautious as she stirred sugar into her cup. For some reason, the act made Sakura nervous.

Sakura watched her parents, one hand tracing the condensation on her glass. Sai seemed to feel the tension as well, which he promptly covered up by intently reading over the nutrition label on the orange juice carton.

Kizashi didn't seem to notice the discomfort his wife displayed, nor the effects it had on the two younger occupants of the room. He shifted the contents of the fridge before pulling out an apple, one hand waving his agreement in the air, "Ah, yes, of course. Not a problem."

"About that…there is one thing that might be a bit of a problem..."

"Hmm..?" Her father didn't seem too concerned. He moved to the sink and washed the apple under the lukewarm water.

"I was talking to Kushina at the fundraiser the other day and she mentioned that…" Mebuki's voice was almost wary at this point, "... that the Uchiha's would also be attending."

At the mention of the name, Sakura flinched, her good mood from the earlier hour immediately fleeing along with her father's. His back stiffened almost instantly, hands pausing from their actions. The silence was suddenly heavy and Sai had abandoned his carton to shoot Sakura a knowing look. The sound of the running water from the sink faucet was the only think saving them from pin-drop silence.

They were all aware of what that particular name did to Sakura's father.

Her mother didn't seem to be faring any better. Her grip around the cup was tense, her eyes watched her husband's frozen form.

From her position, Sakura couldn't make out the expression on her father, but she could see the way his hands gripped the apple in a bruising grip, his nails digging deep into the ripe flesh with anger. He didn't bother to turn around, but his voice was cold as ice, brutal and harsh in the silence of the kitchen.

"Uchiha?"

Sakura's mother struggled to form her next answer in a neutral manner, her teeth nibbling her lips with unease, "Yes… Fugaku and Mikoto will be there…"

Sakura heard her father's sharp inhale, and he turned around from the sink, his expression barely concealing the rage.

His eyes swarmed with the ferocious emotion, his lips tight with stress. His mangled apple was still clutched in one hand as the other was clenched tightly to a fist.

Sakura and Sai exchanged a sticken look before they quietly excused themselves from what was bound to be a messy argument between her father and mother.

Haruno Kizashi's enraged voice followed them out the door.

 

* * *

 

A while after the morning dispute, Sakura and Sai parked by the roadside near the Konoha's most popular coffee shop to stop for a quick breakfast. They had both left their half-finished orange juices on the kitchen counter in their haste to avoid her father's outburst. The last thing they wanted was to be around when he started cursing about the Uchiha patriarch and refusing to attend the benefit tomorrow night. That, in turn, would have irritated Sakura's mother, who would abandon her peaceful morning demeanor to harshly reprimand her husband's insensitivity on upholding a promise.

They reached the door of the cozy cafe just as a group of juniors were leaving, the door jingling with the sound of the bell overhead.

The Konoha Java Hub was one of the neighbourhood's most popular hot spots. Nearly half of the teens in their school came here, usually on mornings before class or after school. It was a homey little cafe with a very hipster vibe to it. Old leather couches, bar stools and bean bags bursting with stuffing were scattered throughout the place. The tables on the main floor were a collection of low end tables that ranged from high end to old recyclables with coffee stains. The place was a mixing pot of odd things. Knick knacks and antiques decorated the shelves near the back wall, where a small platform was raised for performances that occurred every Saturday night. A stand with old magazines and books occupied the corner under the bulletin board - where different gossip articles and notices of apartments available for rent were pinned. The lighting were old industrial spotlights that hung from the ceiling at different heights. One December, one of the baristas had strung Christmas lights on the ceiling rungs, but nobody had bothered to take it down, leaving it there to this day.

People of all types sat around the cafe. The smell of roasted coffee beans and buttery pastry hovering around them. Sakura breathed in the aroma, her eyes closing in contentment as Sai moved around her to walk to the till.

This was their go-to pit stop – which they visited almost every morning when they needed a pick-me-up before classes.

"Chocolate Mocha?"

The rose haired girl flashed him a smile, nodding. With Sai getting their orders, Sakura wound her way past the crowd of caffeine-addicts to claim the seats at the only free table near the back windows. She weaved her way through the bodies, careful not to jostle anyone. Just as she was in reach of her destination a hand from one of the booths reached out to block her way.

Green eyes flickered down to a feminine arm that was wrapped around her wrist. She trailed her gaze from the red nail polish to come face to face with Karin – one of the school's most outgoing girls and a fellow actress. Her flame red hair was styled to its usual style, one side choppy, frizzled out in layers and the other side sleeked down with gel. Seated behind her was her were her circle of friends. Sakura didn't bother to acknowledge their presence, her confused eyes remaining on Karin.

She was careful to mask any feelings of annoyance from showing up on her face. She and Karin weren't exactly enemies, but they were far from best friends. Both of them were striving actresses, making them unspoken rivals of the craft. She had only exchanged a handful of words before, but not enough for Sakura not to feel weird at her sudden initiation.

"Um.. hello."

Karin threw her head back and let out a loud laugh. She casually flipped a lock of her hair over her shoulder, "Oh don't be so formal, Sakura! We're friends!"

_'Now that's just rubbish'_ Sakura couldn't help but think.

Karin's fingers remained circled around Sakura's wrist, preventing her escape. She didn't seem to notice Sakura's discomfort or the fact that her green eyes were warily glancing to the empty seating a short distance away. If she didn't manage to get to it soon, another group might, leaving her and Sai seat-less.

"You were great yesterday, you know? Congratulations with getting the part of Juliet!" Behind the fake joy in Karin's eyes, Sakura saw the flash of envy.

Her viridian eyes narrowed slightly at the comment. She shouldn't have been surprised that Karin had watched her audition. She had been one of the first during try-outs, meaning she must have stayed behind to watch the rest of the girls who tried out for the part of Juliet. Including her.

Trying to be polite but yearning to end the awkward confrontation, Sakura smiled casually, "Thanks. Uh… I should be going. Sai is probably-"

At the possibility of Sakura's departure, a flash of panic appeared in the other girl's brown eye.

"What did you think about Romeo?" She blurted out. The girls behind Karin subtly busied themselves with their beverages, but leaned in slightly, their ears straining to hear every bit of the conversation.

Karin's eyes watched Sakura's expression with hawk-like sharpness from behind her red frames. Her expression was a mixture of concern, satisfaction and sadistic joy.

Sakura inwardly frowned. She did not like the other girl's expression. She was clearly looking for some sort of reaction, which made Sakura shift her weight with discomfort, uncertainty and suspicion. She had been about to ask for further clarification on the redhead's question before a cup of Chocolate Mocha was forced into her hands, making her flinch from the heat of the cup.

Sai towered over her from behind, his arm prying Sakura's captive arm away from Karin as he smiled with artificial friendliness.

"Good morning, please excuse us." With one hand around Sakura's and another balancing a tray of baked goods and his own beverage, Sai all but hustled Sakura away from the group of girls, most of them staring after with wide eyes.

Pink lips twisted into a suspicious scowl as she seated herself on the old, weathered couch. She remained silent, eyes narrowed, watching her best friend busy himself with the tray of food. His face was almost innocent when he chanced a glance over at her, catching the 'what-haven't-you-told-me' look she exuded.

The black-haired male sighed before replying "Sorry Ugly, I planned to tell you in a more..." He surveyed the crowded cafe, "... appropriate setting."

"Sai." Her tone was flat. There was no denying that there was something he was hiding from her. She didn't care much for secrets, but at the mention of Romeo from Karin, something akin to apprehensiveness churned in her stomach.

Despite always being extremely composed and in control of his emotions, Sai couldn't hide the dubiousness from his eyes.

"What is it?" Her teeth ground together in impatience as she tested him.

Her companion's dark eyes turned down to look at his mug of cappuccino, finger's distractedly stirring the slender spoon to play with the foam.

"This might not be the best place to tell you," He replied quietly, "your reaction would onto draw unnecessary attention."

The pinkette didn't reply. Her flat gaze bore a hole into Sai's perspiring forehead.

"Sakura..."

"Just spit it out!"

"But…"

"What is it?!" She hissed.

"Uchiha Sasuke is playing Romeo. _"_

 

* * *

**End Note:**

Updated Note:  
My group mates from university are driving me crazy. The lecturers are driving me crazy. University itself is driving me crazy. It's only the first night of the weekend, but I already fear that I won't have enough time to finish my projects.

Someone. Please send help.

And as always, thank you for reading. Review, if you can.


	4. 敵 (Enemy)

[MisoHime](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2481197/)

**Author's Note:**

Updated 2016 Note:  
This chapter was read and reviewed on the **7th May 2016.**

Hi again, I rewrote this chapter, after been terribly shocked and appalled at the low quality of the original chapter. I see now that while it may have seemed pretty good to me so many years ago, it clearly isn't up to par with my own standards now.

... But then again, my writing now is probably still not good enough.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

 

* * *

◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊

Hoshina no Kurosu

Yon

敵

Teki

* * *

 

The word "hate", was a word that kids were told not to use as a child, because it was rude and impolite to use such a strong word to describe their dissatisfaction.

From a young age, Sakura knew what that word meant, and she had decided to only use it for extreme situations. There weren't many things that she would have categorized under "hate".

She didn't hate Ino after they fought over hair ribbons at age 7, and she didn't hate Naruto when he accidentally tripped and pushed her into the mud one day at the playgrounds one day, ruining her favourite dress, at age 8. Sakura definitely didn't hate the lady at the food stall when she had messed up her order and served her spicy okonomiyaki, which she disliked the most, at age 9.

But when Haruno Sakura met Uchiha Sasuke at age 10, she hated him immediately.

In fact, the word "hate" seemed insignificant and mild in comparison to what she felt towards the boy. "Detested" or "loathed" seemed to fit a bit better. There was no other person on the earth that Sakura couldn't stand more than him.

They had met one day, years ago, at the start of elementary. The memory, as long ago it was, still reflected with perfect clarity in Sakura's mind.

 

* * *

 

She had walked into her classroom, scared, innocent and shy from the prospect of starting a new school year again. Now that she was a decade old, she had insisted that she and Sai be allowed to enter the classrooms without her parents there or Sai's foster father to escort them. That was before she had found out that Sai had been sorted into a different class and she would have to deal with her new classmates alone.

She was terrified, of course. Sai had always been her only closest friend - unwavering and protective. Without him around, younger Sakura had thought she would be lost and abandoned in a sea of strange, new faces. So when she had entered her assigned classroom with shaky limbs and frazzled nerves, Sakura's pink head remained ducked as she quickly maneuvered to the seat furthest from the group of loud kids at the back of the class. She was short and small, which had made it easier for her to weave through the other kids.

10 year old Sakura had been innocently minding her own business, slowly laying out her new, pretty pink, matching stationary set and notebooks when she felt something smack her at the back of her head. A throbbing pain immediately emerged from the collision, which caused child-Sakura to bite her tongue to keep from crying out.

She had twirled around and scanned for clues when she noticed the crumpled piece of paper on the floor by her feet. Sakura had picked it up, and was surprised at the heavy weight. There had been something attached to the ball of paper.

A heavy, metal sharpener fell to the floor as Sakura's eyes scanned the note:

_'Tough luck, Haruno. If you're anything like your father, you better watch your back, because I'll be firing stuff at it.'_

Her bottle green eyes had widened with the antagonism that flowed from the words. Her younger self could not comprehend anyone who would have had the audacity to write such mean things when she had been nothing short of pleasant to everyone she knew.

A sarcastic chuckle sounded from the back of the classroom and young Sakura's eyes had immediately snapped up from the note to seek the source of the sound.

Her toddler eyes had clashed with 10 year old Sasuke's flat black eyes. Back then, his face had been more rounded, more innocent, still incredibly charming and alluring, but with the touch of childish immaturity. He was possibly the most beautiful boy she had ever seen - even more beautiful than Kushina-obaasan. Unfortunately, young Sakura had immediately disregarded his good looks when she had realised he had been the awful little boy whom had sent her the note through very painful, physical means.

His midnight eyes were glaring at her in clear dislike, his youthful skin was a peachy, pale cream. They contrasted sharply against his disarray, black hair. He had been sitting at the back of the classroom, with a group of other boys, but with a prominent, unhappy frown on his face.

Kid Sakura's own expression soured. She didn't appreciate his words or the way he had thrown a rather painful object at her. Sai may not have been there to protect her now, but Sakura was a big girl, now. She was 10 years old and she would no longer let stupid boys like this one throw things like sharpeners at her.

With climbing anger, the younger her had furiously scribbled a note onto one of her new pieces of paper. The pressure of her grip on the pencil made the words on her pink paper dark with lead. She then proceeded to wrap the note around the sharpener, balling it up tightly and securing it with the band it came with before turning back around to direct a fierce glare at the boy across the room.

He had spared her a bored, uninterested look, before returning to a conversation with his friends. The air around him reflected his arrogance and disregard.

_'That jerk!'_ Sakura had thought, vexed. He clearly thought her no better than the dirt under his shoes.

With her cheeks flushed from her anger, Sakura had pulled her tiny arm back and flung the object with her note as hard as her 10-year old self could muster. It sailed far across the room. Her fury at the boy must have helped focus her aim, because the heavy object soared and hit him directly on the forehead.

He had cried out sharply in pain, causing the entire room to gasp with shock. Within seconds, a dozen pair of eyes had swung around to stare at her in horror. Before Sakura's abhorrence could change to shame, her teacher, Hatake Kakashi, had walked in, eyes absorbing in the scene of a bleeding Sasuke, stunned crowd and a guilty Sakura - whose hand was still raised in the air in the position of throwing.

That incident had gotten her two weeks of detention and a stern warning from the headmistress on the rule of physical violence, as well as a temporary suspension - all from her first hour and first day of school.

Luckily for her, the other boy involved also got an equally harsh punishment for starting it.

Unlucky for her, 10 year old Sakura soon found out hours later that the boy was none other than Uchiha Sasuke - the son of the man whom her father absolutely despised, and whom carried the name she had grown up learning to hate.

 

* * *

 

Since that incident nearly a decade ago, word had spread far and wide - everybody knew that Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were not to be mixed. Ever.

Which made Sakura all the more confused and infuriated from what Sai had just said.

_'Why did Kurenai even cast him? He's a complete and utter ass. He can't act. He'll look like a fucking idiot in Romeo-styled clothes. He won't even take this seriously either!'_

Sakura seethed in her seat silently. It was close to the start of their next class, and she had stomped all the way from the coffee shop to the classroom like a savage hurricane. Her vision had been nothing but a red blur. She wasn't even sure if she had finished her beverage when at the cafe - or if she had even brought Sai along with her when she had left. There was a chance she might have even left him there along with a forgotten drink.

She felt another one of her classmates shoot her a nervous look from across the room. People were starting to stare, but Sakura didn't bother to pay it any attention. She knew that from anyone's point of view, she probably looked like a boiling furnace about to explode. Steam might have even started to flare from her nostrils. The wood on her desk was dented slightly with the impressions of crescents from where she had dug her nails too hard into the grain.

Silent rage continued to crawl under her skin.

Sakura had not spoken a single word out loud since Sai had told her about Sasuke being cast as Romeo. From the moment he had uttered the name, her hackles had risen with denial and disbelief. If she had opened her mouth, there would have been a high chance that every cuss word and rude gesture she knew would have been released for all of the entire immediate population to hear.

Sai - as socially stunted as he was - also seemed just as uncomfortable next to her after delivering the news. He didn't bother to calm her down or attempt to distract her. He knew her well enough that doing so would have risked a nasty punch in the eye because there was nothing that could dissolve the hatred that Sakura felt for the most egotistical, arrogant, rude and complete asshole of a man she had ever met.

He had been nothing but spiteful since their first meeting. Clearly he grew up learning to hate the Haruno's as much as she grew up detesting the Uchiha's.

Her slight frame shook with her attempt to calm herself. Sakura took a few deep inhales and slowly unclenched her jaw. She would have to work out the rest of her turbulent emotions at a more appropriate hour.

She took the opportunity to try and distract herself by observing her surroundings. She had moved on autopilot during her fit of anger, not even noticing if she had made it to the right classroom.

The lecture hall was still half empty. Students continued to flow in from the open door, walking in with groups of friends or alone - some balancing heavy textbooks with more care than others. The teacher had yet to arrive.

Sakura's mind sorted through her mental timetable to recall what class this was, when her eyes fell on the steel plaque that was propped on the large desk at the head of the room. It read: 'Hatake Kakashi-sensei'

She could have almost laughed at the irony.

This was third level Biology class. Which coincidentally was taught in the same classroom, with the same teacher, as the one when Sakura had met Sasuke for the first time all those years ago.

The entire scenario was starting to feel a whole lot like a set up. She didn't want to imagine what it would be like when it came to the play, because nothing short of 'explosive' could have been expected.

_'Kurenai has no idea what she's done'_ Sakura silently hissed to herself.

As Sakura continued to silently stew to herself, a group of students walked into the room - making it mere moments before the bell rang. Secretly, everyone knew that there was no point in being early to one of Kakashi's classes anyway - he was bound to arrive far later than all of them.

She had paid no heed to the group of students who made their way around the room, until a prickle of awareness raced from her back. One that she was all too familiar with.

Uchiha Sasuke had arrived.

Her gaze scanned over the bodies and faces of her classmates, watching as some dissipated to other areas of the room, until she caught sight and zoomed into focus on one particularly handsome face. Her Apple green eyes hardened into jade steel.

Uchiha Sasuke had just entered the classroom with his selective group of friends nearby. Following on his heels had been a hoard of fangirls whom seemed to live off his presence.

He was dressed in a high collared shirt and casual grey jeans. The cloth of his shirt stretched over nicely to fit his broad shoulders and trim waistline. He was tall - much taller than he seemed like he would grow to at age 10. Pale, flawless skin contrasted exotically with the dark colouration of his eyes and hair. Unlike his elder brother, who had the more refined features of his father, Sasuke had taken more from his mother. His eyes were half a shade lighter than his spiky black hair, which was so black it seemed to glow with a blue tinge in the light. His lips were pressed into a hard line and a mask of cool indifference seemed to be permanently schooled on his face.

_'His beautiful, flawless, perfectly disgusting face'_

After years, he had matured from his childish features and he was still just as - if not more - good looking than he was when they were younger. The only thing that remained completely unchanged was the hard line of his frown, and even that was chalked up to be 'gorgeously pouty' by those who adored him. It had not surprised her, of course, but it still irritated Sakura to no end.

All of the members in the ginormous family of the Uchiha clan were blessed with unjustly good looks. It was a well known fact and one that seemed to go hand in hand with their proud, powerful and egotistical attitudes. Sakura had spent her entire life avoiding being around any of the Uchiha's. Her family hated them, and if they were anything like Sasuke, she didn't even want to be in the same vicinity anyway.

Sadly, it didn't help that they were the biggest family out of all the founding clans in Konoha.

Not long after their first meeting as children, Sasuke and Sakura had been separated into different classes in order to avoid further... mishaps. From the requests of their families, the school had personally made sure that they had no more than at least 2 classes together - reducing their contact as much as possible. Though it was impossible to separate them for those one or two lessons they shared, neither of them clearly wanted to even be in the same breathing room. She had grown up reluctantly near Sasuke, watching him mature, but getting nonetheless unpleasant as the years went by.

For all throughout her schooling life, she and Sasuke had spent every moment competing with one another - whether it be getting better scores during class tests or claiming the best seats in class. It even extended to things outside their academics. They would fight over who claimed the last bento box in the cafeteria and who could outdo the other in sports. To every observer, it seemed that they lived to outdo, outsmart and outwit one another. They did not require a viable reason to be rivals, merely acting on their extreme dislike for one another.

Her attention sharpened back to watch Sasuke as he ignored the fawning fangirls - blatantly disregarding their existence - and moved to scan over the mass of students occupying the room. His eyes immediately snagged on her's, and a cold-hearted smirk graced his lips.

_'Found you'_ They seemed to say.

Sakura fought the urge to fling something at him - perhaps something larger, heavier and more deadly than a sharpener. She suppressed the temptation and curled her hands into tight fists under her desk. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he still managed to infuriate her like no other.

He seemed to enjoy watching her seethe from his attention, and he moved to casually walk over to where she sat, not even sparing a glance to the other students. A path immediately cleared for him like the Red Sea.

Sakura's morning had immediately gone down the drain. The last thing she wanted was to deal with Uchiha Sasuke. He would only prove to soil the rest of her day.

She moved with haste, shoving her only notebook back into her bag and grabbing the strap simultaneously. There was no way she would voluntarily stay and have any sort of contact with the Uchiha.

Before she could move any further, a pair of strong, perfectly carved hands and arms slammed onto her desk at the last minute, calloused fingers entrapping her bag strap.

Sakura froze. Every hair on the back of her neck rose with the close, physical proximity. Her gaze remained locked on his hands - long fingered and scarred from his years of practicing of taijutsu. The muscles on his forearms flexed, and she watched them roll from beneath his skin before she trailed her eyes slowly upwards.

The classroom had fallen to a complete silence. Everyone waited, observing what was to occur between the two biggest rivals of Konoha and ready to spread the gossip around campus within minutes.

"Good morning, my Juliet." Sasuke greeted, his voice was low and husky. The words flowed off his tongue as thick as honey.

The sound of his alluring voice made Sakura's defenses rise. Everything about this man made her want to punch his perfect teeth out.

She made sure to keep her face emotionless. She had spent many years honing her skill of being able to maintain her emotions in check, but it was something about Sasuke that constantly tested her temper. He must have been naturally talented at it.

Sakura had half a mind to give him the " _don't-even-bother_ " look, but she didn't want to give him the chance to snark her even more.

"Nothing to say, Haruno?" He mocked, eyes provoking, "that would be a first."

The jab rekindled her irritation tenfold.

_'What the hell does that mean?'_ Sakura fumed. The jerk was pretty much insulting her to her face when she had yet to even utter a single word.

She inhaled deeply from her nose, hoping it would help regain some form of composure. The audible inhale seemed to spur him even more, because before she could even unclench her jaw and tell him exactly what she thought of his insolent face, he leaned in close enough to feel her breath and said:

"Hn, flustered, _Sakura_?"

Her natural reaction was to jerk away. The legs of her chair scraped an uncomfortable, grating sound on the floor's surface as she pushed away from him and her cheeks burned from her anger. She could count the number of times he used her given name over the years they spent knowing one another, and the way he said it now made her want to physically hurt him.

The nails that had been gouging gashes into her hand began to tear at the skin and a vein started to pop in her forehead.

To hell with composure.

"Not at all, _Sasuke_ ," she had purposefully laced her tone with potent sarcasm and absolute vexation when she ommited the use of 'Uchiha' in favor of his own first name, "I merely have no interest to say anything to the likes of you."

His own sharp eyes narrowed with ferocity, "Or perhaps you've got nothing of worth to say at all."

The fibres of anger began to hum faintly in her ears. No matter how many years she had spent arguing with Sasuke, he never failed to constantly one-up his level of irritability and absolute asshole-ness after every encounter.

"Perhaps you're right," Sakura gritted, her teeth almost grinding. She straightened from her position and tilted her head higher, making him straighten from his bent position in response, "I have nothing of worth to say to someone who's just as meaningless."

Small sniggers errupted in the corners of the classroom and Sasuke's eyes hardened into hard cuts of black diamond. Anger sharpened his entire face, making him seem almost like a marble statue.

"Witty, Haruno. Very witty. But I know you're nothing but an annoyance. Weak," -the cold tone of his voice brought the ambient temperature of the lecture hall into the negatives- "just like your father."

As the last word slipped past his lips and into the air, Sakura could have felt every single nerve in her body whip alive like lightning had been poured into her veins. She might have even audibly hissed from her temper. She had not gotten this angry in a very long time, and her displeasure must have radiated like a siren because several of the spectators nearest to the bickering pair began to back away, fearing for the possible outbreak that might explode at any minute.

Her green eyes were ferocious and unforgiving, as Sakura's glare remained locked on his. It did not look away or waver for even a second as her hand snagged at the strap of her bag and she tore it away from under his grip in one vicious swipe.

The force of her movement caused the metal clasps on her bag's zipper to gouge an deep, angry line on the wood surface, but Sasuke didn't even seem bothered by it. His balance remained steady despite her tearing away at the strap that had been wedged under his hands.

His ability to remain perfectly immovable just riled Sakura up even more.

Less than a microsecond later, her other arm had swung up to hit him, the action not even processing in her mind - merely moving from instinct. Her clenched fist was nothing but a blur, but Sasuke - with his heightened senses from his martial arts training - caught it smoothly before it could make contact with the unblemished skin of his cheek.

Her hand had been clenched tightly, the knuckles sharp and hard from the rigidity of her grip. At the speed of her swing and the hardness of her clenched fist, the momentum must have been enough to bruise, but from his stony expression, Sasuke didn't even seem close to hurt by it.

Her fierce jade eyes didn't move from his as she bared her teeth at him in a savage snarl. She had had enough of his jabs and cruel comments. He had no right to judge her or her family when he was a hundred times more awful.

His long, tapered fingers folded over the skin of her fist and his dark eyes slitted into a indignant look. The corners of his mouth turned down into an equally disgusted frown. The feeling of his roughened skin against her's continued to make her fist itch with discomfort.

For a second, he simply held her fist there, in his much larger palm, before a shadow casted over his features and his grip tightened almost painfully over her closed fist.

The tension caused her coiled fingers to bend deeper, sending a shooting pain into her distal joints. Sakura muffled the small cry that arose from the unexpected action and wrenched her hand away.

The crowd remained unmoving, merely watching the showdown. While snarky words and insults were a common - yet still entertaining - form of event that took place whenever Sakura and Sasuke argued, physical violence was not always promised. And with the imminent threat of expulsion hanging over their heads, it only happened on several, rare, occasions.

Sakura masked her expression back to one of nonchalance, but made sure that he read the cold scorn that swam in her eyes.

With her bag and fist now free from his captive hold, Sakura twisted on the balls of her feet and made her way out the doors - Biology class be damned.

Just as she reached the doorway, the pinkette paused, twisting her head to look at him over her shoulder as she spoke, "We'll settle this during rehearsals-" jade eyes sparked with haughtiness, "Romeo."

She could feel his stare follow her all the way out.

 

* * *

 

Later that day, as Sakura made her way down an empty hallway, she contemplated her game plan. There was no way to outrun Sasuke. There never had been. She and him had always been two polar opposites that had somehow ended up tossed into a ring with walls that stretched so high above that there would be no way out.

If neither Kurenai nor Anko would recast another as Romeo, he would be her costar. What was worse was that he wouldn't just be a regular cast member.

He would be her character's other half.

He would be her love interest.

Her romantic partner.

Her ' _star-crossed_ ' lover.

The thought alone had her nearly buckling from repulsion.

He would be Romeo, and since she was definitely not planning on stepping down as Juliet, that meant that the two of them would have to be able to reenact Shakespeare's most iconic romantic pairs with flawless depiction.

That seemed like an impossible feat on it's own. It was no secret that the two of them had never had even one civil conversation with one another. Despite having grown up in the same city and attending the same schools for nearly their entire lives, Sakura could not remember a time when she and Sasuke had even one conversation that didn't end decently. It was hard, when their families were pitted enemies and the bad blood ran deep.

_'How the hell is this going to work?'_

It would have taken a miracle to even get them to co-operate. Clearly Kurenai hadn't been thinking when she had casted them both as the leads. Sakura would have even welcomed the perverted and most unpleasant, Suigetsu as Romeo if it meant not having to act beside Sasuke.

It simply would not work. Once Kurenai saw how combustable the discord between the two of them was, she would just have to choose to keep one and recast the other.

And there was no way she was going to give up without a fight.

She vowed to herself - right then and there, that she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her spotlight, of her dream as an actress. Not even acting with Sasuke - should it end up that way.

Even if he was her most hated enemy.

Even if he was Romeo and she - Juliet.

Even if she had to risk falling in love.

There was a fine line between love & hate, but Sakura knew which side she stood on, and she had no plans to cross it.

Sakura continued her walk, confidence causing her strides to lengthen as she smirked to herself. Yes, she would fight tooth and nail for her part as Juliet. She had waited too long for a chance like this one to happen. If Sasuke expected her to cave from the prospect of working alongside him, he would be sorely mistaken.

A white flash on her left caught as eye as Sakura walked down another adjoining hallway. She slowed in her steps as she looked at the notice board - catching sight of the white piece of paper that had been pinned. It was the drama department's bulletin.

And on it was the cast list.

Her forest green eyes scanned over the sheet with precision, reading over names and grinning widely at the sight of her own name listed next to "Juliet Capulet". She had known, of course, that she had done well during auditions, but after hearing that Kurenai had also cast Sasuke as Romeo, the subconscious side of her had worried at their poor sense of judgement, which might have led to them awarding the lead female role to somebody else instead as well.

At the reminder of Sasuke, once again, Sakura's happy smile morphed into an irritated scowl. She scanned the list of names to find that "Romeo Montague" had, indeed, been assigned to "Uchiha Sasuke".

_'Fuck my life'_

Sakura was half tempted to scratch his name out from frustration. Hours had passed since their heated encounter in the classroom. She had walked out without concern over having skipped a class, and it had taken her the entire morning into the early afternoon to calm herself down again. It not only infuriated her that he could anger her so easily, but that even without being physically present, he managed to get on her nerves.

A dark idea formed in her mind, and Sakura's frown switched to a scheming smirk - one full of wicked gleaming teeth. She pulled out a spare pen and uncapped the lid with her teeth, fingers moving fast to scratch out the words exactly where she wanted it on paper.

There would be no mistaking who had written it. Nobody else would have had the motive, nor the guts to do so, anyway. She didn't mind the attention, or whatever wild gossip that would spring from her actions. She didn't care at all, because the words, as taboo or as heartless as they seemed, rang with the depth of her resentment.

Her footsteps remained quiet and muted as she walked away. The sunlight streaming in from one the windows caused the words on the paper to glisten - still wet from the ink.

Three words spelled out - dark and angry against the snow white sheet:

_"Romeo must die…"_

 

* * *

**End Note:**

Updated 2016 Note:  
I severely underdeveloped this chapter when I originally wrote it. The thing about expressing an emotion like hate is that there has to be a viable reason behind it. Even now, after rewriting this chapter, I feel like I may not have done it enough justice.

Anyway, if you're a new reader, thank you so much for giving this story a chance. I apologise if I have yet to rewrite the chapters after this and you're stuck with the crappy, outdated version.

Do review!


End file.
